Head for cotton pickers



S P 1950 1.. STUKENBORG 2 ,521,491

HEAD FOR co'r'rou PICKERS Filed March 21, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 5, 1950 c. STUKEN'BORG HEAD FOR COTTON PICKERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Marcfi 21, 1947 Sept. 5, 1950 L. c. STUKENBORG HEAD FOR cb'r'rqn PICKERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 21, 1,947

INVENTOR. 10w: 4 JPUAf/VBQ/P Patented Sept. 5, 1950 HEAD FOR COTTON PICKERS Louis C. Stukenborg, Memphis, Tenn. Application March 21, 1947, Serial No. 736,319

9 Claims. (Cl. 5632) This invention relates to improvements in that class of cotton pickers which employ a manually directable head for removing the cotton from the bolls and which transfer the cotton so removed by air current to a receptacle.

It particularly relates to that type of such devices which employ cooperating cylindrical rolls or brushes disposed adjacent the open front end of the head, which rolls are rotated to cooperatively engage the fiber and draw in the locks of cotton, and in which these locks are transferred by a current of air from the head through a connecting tube to the receptacle.

Many attempts have been made to employ devices of this type with more or less success. These devices, however, have largely failed by reason of the clogging of the brushes by engagement of the lint with the bristles thereof; by reason of the wrapping of the cotton fibers around the brush shafts at the bearings; by reason of the excessive wear of the brushes which have required excessive replacements; by reason of the choking of the tube when flow of air is cut off due to such clogging; by reason of clogging due to the sudden transfer of loose locks of cotton from the bolls to the rolls or brushes; and by reason of difficulty in directing the opening in the head, preferably toward the boll from which the cotton is to be removed.

Also clogging of the brushes and resulting choking of the head has resulted in the deposit of cotton being transferred through the tube, at various places along the length of the tube, which cotton, after clearing of the head, tends to pile p and block the flow entirely when clearing of the head again permits air flow to start up therethrough, often requiring disconnection of the tube and manual clearing before operation can again be resumed.

The objects of the present invention are:

To provide rolls which have a minimum tendency to clog up and which efliciently release the lint after the cotton is drawn in;

To provide head mounting and directing means which permit the open mouth or front of the head to be directed not only toward the cotton in the path of direct progression of the picking operation, but to either side of the path of such operation, with facility and in connection therewith to provide head manipulating means which tends to automatically effect the directing of the head toward the bolls in most eflicient position;

To provide means for establishing an air passageway from the front of the head, which passageway bypasses the brushes and allows the air 2 to transfer locks of cotton from the bolls directly into and through the transferring tube, to maintain transferring air flow through the tube, even though the rolls themselves be clogged and flow therebetween be blocked, and to divert the fiber downward and away from the roll bearings.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will readily be understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the head taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation.

Fig. 4 is a sectional front elevation taken on the line IVIV of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan taken on the line V-V of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 a side elevation of a cotton picking machine employing the head.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals:

l I is a picker head which is connected through a flexible tube or hose l3 to an exhaust fan I5 driven as by an internal combustion engine 11, the fan l5 delivering cotton removed by the head through a connecting passageway l9 to a bag or other suitable receptacle 2|, the fan, motor and receptacle being carried by a mobile frame 23 which is traversed along the rows of cotton to be picked, in suitable manner, and the head H and tube 3 being supported by suitable swinging arms 25, 21, connected respectively to the frame and each other forswinging movement in a horizontal plan, the arm 21 being additionally connected to the arm 25 for swinging movement in a vertical plane and being supported at its outer end by a tension spring 29. The arm 21 supports a motor 3!, preferably through a tension spring 33, and in turn through a, flexible housing 35 for a similarly flexible motor shaft 36, Figs. 3 and 4, support the head H. The motor 3| is energized through leads 3? by a generator 33, also driven by the engine l1. Preferably the frame 23 carries at least two sets of swinging arms, tubes, motors and heads.

The present invention, however, is directed to the head ll only. The head comprises a casing having side walls 4| and a, bottom 43, preferably of sheet metal, the side walls 4! preferably arcuately converging to form a back wall. 45 from which a tubular nipple 41' extends rearwardly to receive the flexible hose I3, which is preferably secured to the nipple by a clamp 49.

Forwardly the side walls may also converge slightly, but their forward edges are spaced apart to leave an open front. The top edges of the sides and back walls are flanged and the top of the head formed by a heavier and substantially rigid plate 5! secured to the side and back walls. Secured to the plate or top 5! is a bracket 53, which carries a handle 55 which is axially alined with the fore and aft axis of the head.

Secured in the top 5! are bearings 5'! which are spaced apart transversely to the fore and aft axis of the head and journal shafts 59 and ti. Both shafts extend below the bearings 51 and carry collars 53 which are secured to the shafts either integrally or as by pins 55. The collars 83 may be hollowed out for the bearings 5'! and preferably have flanges B? which closely underlie the top 51. Below the collars G3 the shafts are enlarged and squared to receive cylindrical rolls 69 of soft rubber, having integral longitudinal ribs 7 i. The rolls are preferably held in place by washers l3, andnuts 35. Above the top 5i and bearings 51 the shafts carry intermeshing gears l'l, preferably having hub portions Ti and secured to the shafts by pins 8 1. One of the shafts, as the shaft 6|, extends well above its gear hub l9 and may be journal-led by an additional bearing 83 secured in a boss 85 extending upward from a cover 81 which is secured to the top 5! and houses the ears 11. The boss 85 may be internally threaded to receive a nipple 88 which cooperates with a coupling sleeve 99 to effect engagement with the housing 35 of the motor shaft 355. The motor shaft 35 and shaft 6! are connected in driving relation as by a bayonet coupling 93.

The bearings 5'5 of the roll shafts 59, 6! are spaced with relation to the diameters of the rolls 69 that the projecting ribs H of the rolls respectively come into adjacency to the other rolls as they rotate and the side walls of the heads are spaced to just clear the ribs.

It will be especially noted that the roll shafts 59 and ti are journalled at their upper ends only and at their lower ends they and the nuts thereon are spaced above the bottom 53 of the head and that the washers l3 and the lower ends of the rolls 59 have even greater clearance from this bottom, so that an open by-pass channel or passageway for air, and air transferred cotton, is left below the rolls from the open front of the head into the tube 53 and through this tube to the exhaust fan.

The open front of the head may be provided with guard fingers 95 which extend horizontally inward from the sides 4! toward alinement with the centers of the rolls, but forwardly of the rolls.

In use, the exhaust fan 55 and generator 39 are driven by th engine il and the frame 23 is traversed along the rows of plants from which the cotton is to be picked, with each tube and head between two rows of plants so that by manual diversion the head may be directed selectively toward and into contact with the bolls of the plants.

As the heads are brought into proximity with the bolls, some of the extremely loose locks under influence of the air current, are drawn into the head, and to a large extent, are carried through the by-pass channel below the rolls and are transferred by air flow through the tube into the receptacle 2i. Fibers of more firmly attached locks are engaged by the rolls, and assisted by air flow, these locks are disengaged and similarly transferred, but even so, locks largely pass 4 only partially between the rolls and much of the fiber and bulk of the locks are carried below, and through the by-pass passageway and substantially all fibers are drawn away from the roll bearings. From time to time, however, transfer of too large a mass from a boll may choke up the rolls and slow them down or entirely stop them until the head is manually cleared, effecting in the absence of by-pass flow a slowing down or stoppage of air flow and a resulting stoppage of air transferring flow in the tube which often results in subsequent choking of the tube after the head is cleared, such stoppage being obviated by the by-pass flow.

It will be particularly noted also that all air flow through the head is cooperative in the movement of the cotton through the head and accomplishes transfer of cotton from the head into the tube and that the by-pass flow is effective in such transfer of cotton passing the rolls and in assisting such passage, as distinguished from bypass flow rearward of the rolls which entirely takes over on partial head stoppage and promotes roll clogging, even though it may be useful in tube clearing.

t will be understood that details as motor, switches and bolt tighteners not being germane to the present invention are purposely omitted.

It will be understood also that the term rolls hereinbefore used and hereinafter used in the claims, refers to brush or other types of picking rolls unless the context otherwise specifically excludes such interpretation.

It will be further understood that only such detail as a claim may recite shall be read into such claim.

I claim:

1. In a cotton picker which includes a hollow head and a flexible tube extending rearwardly therefrom, said head having walls including a top and a bottom wall, and being open at the front, a pair of rolls disposed in parallel within said head in cooperative cotton engaging proximity and being journalled by said top wall, said rolls extending toward and terminating above said bottom wall in amount toestablish between the lower ends of said rolls and said bottom a by-pass channel, and said head being free from parts obstructing said channel, means for driving said rolls, and means for establishing through said head and tube an exhaust flow of air entering through the open front of said head.

2. In a cotton picker, a hollow head having walls, said head having a flexible tube extending rearwardly therefrom and being open at the front; a pair of rolls disposed in parallel within said head in cooperative cotton engaging proximity, and journalled by one of said walls, said rolls extending toward and terminating in spaced relation to an opposite said wall in amount to establish between the ends of said rolls and said wall a by-pass channel, and said head being free from parts obstructing said channel, means for driving said rolls, and means for establishing through said head and tube an exhaust flow of air entering through the open front of said head.

3. In a cotton picker, a hollow head having walls including a top and a bottom wall, said head having a flexible tube extending rearwardly therefrom and being open at the front; a pair of cylindrical rolls disposed within said head in parallel relation and having ribs respectively extending into cooperative cotton engaging proximity with the opposite rolls, said rolls being journalled by said top wall, and extending toward but terminating above said bottom wall to establish a by-pass channel between their said ends and said bottom, means for driving said rolls, and means for establishing through said head and tube an exhaust flow of air entering through the open front of said head.

4. In a cotton picker, a hollow head having walls, said head having a tubular portion extending rearwardly therefrom and being open at the front; a pair of parallel rolls disposed within said head in cooperative cotton engaging proximity, and journalled by one of said walls, said rolls extending toward and terminating in spaced relation to an opposite said wall to establish a by-pass channel between said ends and said opposite wall, and said head being free from parts obstructing said channel, means for driving said rolls and means for establishing through said head and tubular portion an exhaust flow of air entering through the open front of said head.

5. In a cotton picker, a hollow head having walls including a top and a bottom wall, said head having a tubular portion extending rearwardly therefrom and being open at the front; a pair of ribbed cylindrical rolls disposed in parallel relation within said head and in cooperative cotton engaging proximity; said rolls being journalled by said top wall and extending toward and. terminating above said bottom wall toestablish a by-pass channel below their said ends, and said head being free from parts obstructing said channel, means for driving said rolls and means for establishing through said head and said tubular portion an exhaust flow of air entering through the open front of said head.

6. In a cotton picker, walls spaced to establish a hollow head open at the front; said head having a tubular rearward extension; a pair of ribbed cylindrical rolls disposed in parallel relation within said head in cooperative cotton engaging proximity, and journalled by one of said walls, said rolls extending toward and terminating in spaced reation to an opposite wall to establish between their said ends and said opposite wall a by-pass channel, and said head being free from parts obstructing said channel, means for driving said rolls, and means for establishing through said head and said tubular extension a cotton transferring exhaust flow of air entering through the open front of said head.

7. In a cotton picker which includes a hollow head having walls including a top and a bottom wall, said head having a, flexible tube extending rearwardly therefrom and being open at the front; a pair of rolls disposed in parallel relation in cooperative cotton engaging proximity within said head and journalled by said top wall, said rolls extending toward and having their lower ends spaced above said bottom wall in amount to establish between their said lower ends and said bottom wall a passageway for air and air transferred cotton, and said head being free from parts obstructing said passageway, said passageway by-passing the clogging action of the proximately positioned said rolls, means for driving said rolls, and means for establishing through said head and tube an exhaust flow of air entering through said open front of said head.

8. In a cotton picker, a hollow head having top, bottom and side walls, said head having a flexible tube continuing rearwardly therefrom and being open at the front; a pair of rolls disposed in parallel relation within said head in cooperative cotton engaging proximity, and journalled by one of said walls, said rolls extending toward and having their opposite ends spaced from the opposite said wall in amount to establish between their said ends and said wall a passageway for air and air transferred cotton, by passing the clogging action of the proximate portions of said rolls, and said head being free from parts ob structing said passageway, means for driving said rolls, and means for establishing through said head and tube a cotton transferring suction flow of air entering through the open front of said head.

9. In a cotton picker which includes a hollow head having walls including a top and a bottom wall, and being open at the front; a pair of rolls disposed in parallel relation in cooperative cotton engaging proximity within said head and journalled by said top wall, said rolls extending toward and having their lower ends spaced above said bottom wall in amount to establish between.

their said lower ends and said bottom wall a passageway for air and air transferred cotton, said passageway by passing the clogging action of the proximately positioned said rolls, means for driving said rolls, and means for establishing through said head and tube an exhaust flow of air entering through said open front of said head.

LOUIS C. STUKENBORG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 947,483 Farnsworth Jan. 25, 1910 1,088,361 Pearce Feb. 24, 1914 1,091,140 Jones Mar. 24, 1914 1,110,158 Straus Sept. 8, 1914 1,753,919 Cooper Apr. 8, 1930 2,222,637 Stukenborg 1 Nov. 26, 1940 

